Jungle is where Boulderites go to turn on vacation mode—swapping Pearl Street for palm fronds, tiki dreams, and rum-soaked Mai Tais. Even the best escapes, though, eventually spark a new itch. For the local team behind Jungle, the sultry cocktail bar that’s become one of the city’s best since it opened in summer 2019, that itch became Siren, their new coastal tavern tucked into an unassuming South Boulder strip mall. But there the fantasy isn’t Polynesian paradise, but New England shoreline in all its salty, storied glory.
Many of the Jungle crew hail from a coast, and Siren feels like a love letter to their roots. Where Jungle thrives on the pulse of downtown Pearl Street, Siren settles into its neighborhood location with a vibe reminiscent of an old seaside village tavern. Friends greet each other with hugs at the door, and couples catch up over generous martinis in wooden booths that look as though they’ve already heard a hundred good stories. Behind the bar, bottles rest on wooden shelves—nothing sleek or flashy here. Even the centerpiece ship feels less novelty and more homage, as if it’s always belonged.
The drinks, however, are unmistakably from one of the best cocktail teams in Boulder. Siren’s menu is thoughtfully segmented, with martinis taking a starring role. Crisp, briny, sweet, bone-dry, or even non-alcoholic—each variation is dialed in with precision, an adventure in a glass taking you wherever you want to go.
Beyond martinis, the cocktail list explores classics and coastal-inspired originals, from the delicate strawberry and rose petal Siren Gin Fizz to the Old Bay-tinged Old Fashioned. (And yes, you can get Jungle’s iconic Mai Tai, because how could they leave that one off?) Each drink section includes a non-alcoholic option, none of which are afterthoughts but carefully constructed drinks that hold their own.
Food at Siren leans playful and maritime, anchored by an impressive roster of tinned fish that makes for a super fun snack dinner. Salmon, sardines, smoked mussels, and rainbow trout are just a few of the options that arrive pristinely packed, each tin accompanied by whipped butter, pickled onions, and slabs of sourdough meant for scooping and sharing. It’s simple, satisfying, and feels exactly right for the space.
If you’re feeling fancy, caviar is offered in formats that range from elegant bumps to indulgent sliders. During their excellent happy hour, three grams of fishy joy can be yours for $9, a small luxury that feels surprisingly accessible. And if roe isn’t your thing, there’s the $9 grilled cheese with sweet onion jam or $8 beet tartare, also off the HH menu, proving Siren doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Drink-wise, several cocktails clock in at $10 and under during the 4-6 pm daily happy hour (plus a late-night rendition 9-11 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays), alongside $4 Narragansetts—a nod to New England that feels both nostalgic and perfectly placed. It’s the kind of pricing that encourages a second round, another tin, one more story.
A coastal tavern in landlocked Boulder shouldn’t work this well, but it does. Built by coastal transplants who know exactly what they’re recreating, Siren draws you in like the call of its namesake, promising warmth, a good, stiff drink, and the comforting illusion that the ocean might just be a few blocks away.
Siren: 623 S. Broadway, Boulder; SirenCocktailBar.com